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JUNIORS

In stage vs. street showdown, young Lee squeaks out win over even younger Tison

David Lee put on a flawless act as the fifth Juniors Championship competitor, setting the standard to that point in the event. But, he had to sweat out an almost equally fine act by 13-year-old Dana Tison before being declared winner.

Lee, the 15-year-old brother of Albert Lucas, has several more years of juggling experience than does Tison. Lee first appeared before an audience at age 3 with the Ice Capades show and remained with that troupe for 10 years before honorable retirement with a gold watch and diamond pin last year.

He was not working during the convention week, but plans to tour with Liberace during the coming year.

Very polished and gracious from the many years of public exposure, Lee said he was highly impressed by the level of talent he found at his first IJA convention. "It meant a lot to me to win, because the competition was very good," he said.

It also inspired him to work harder at his juggling. "When you work in Las Vegas, you tend to stick with your act and slack off some," he said. "Exposure to a group like this will keep any pro on his toes!"

Lee said his professional success was composed of "30 percent talent and 70 percent coaching." He has been coached through the years by his father, Albert Moreira, and more recently by Nick Gatto. And though he juggles mostly to please an audience, he does not neglect the more difficult tasks. He claims to have managed 14 throws of 10 rings, and says he is beginning to practice 11.

He presented IJA viewers with a Las Vegas style stage act, wearing a flashy body suit and bright smile to open with three club work. He included a seven ring juggle and pull down over his head, and was the only competitor to include plates, juggling and changing colors with five of them.

He juggled four silver-painted tennis rackets, which matched his outfit, and added a fifth racket briefly. He finished with a modified Brunn finale, spinning a ball on a mouthstick and a finger, spinning a hoop on one leg and juggling three rings in one hand.

Tison's act was as different from Lee's as night and day. His more informal style was introduced when the curtain parted on an artfully disarranged prop table. The competitor then entered atop a six-foot unicycle and swinging clubs. Next he did three and five balls, rings and clubs, and ended with no drops in a backwards "moon walk" off the stage while swinging clubs again. He finished just 0.2 points behind Lee.

The rest of the field came in more than 15 points behind those two.

Tison, a 13-year-old from Baltimore, Maryland, has been juggling only two years. He juggles five clubs already, but only made his decision to enter the Juniors Championship three months prior to the event. He and his coach, "Juggler's World" editor Ro Lutz-Nagey, worked three hours per day to fashion the final act.

Robbie Weinstein from New Orleans finished third, in a tight grouping of competitors just two points above seventh place. His three and five ball and three and four club juggling were tightly choreographed to a fine piece of classical music.

One of only two women to enter events this year, Cindy Friedberg from New York City, finished fourth in the Juniors Championship. She demonstrated great technical proficiency, working well with five balls, doing three club back crosses and columns, and juggling four balls. She has made brief appearances juggling in concerts in Avery Fisher Hall in Manhattan. A cello and hand bell player, she enters Oberlin College as a freshman this fall.

Highlights of other acts included:

-John Gilkey - His white props stood out well against black clothes and prop stand. He performed a pirouette with three clubs, and worked with four clubs and three balls.

-Ken Falk - This Cupertino, California, resident appeared in a bow tie and vest, then performed a well-choreographed and faultless ball and club routine.

-David Kamatoy - A protege of second place U.S. Nationals competitor Mark Nizer, Kamatoy did some very fast work with three balls. He spun a ball while somersaulting backward and standing on his head, and worked with three clubs.

-Robert Stuverud - One of the more lively and engaging personalities in the championship, Stuverud break-danced onto the stage to a funk tune and did routines with three balls and club swinging.

-Scott Dineen - He performed some of the only three club kickups seen at this year's convention. He did half-pirouettes with three clubs, and four and five clubs.

-Robert Lattarulo - He used good body movement across the stage to present a wide variety of three and five ball tricks.

-Nowell Francis - She danced onto stage with a three ball routine, showing a great deal of poise and confidence. Her specialty was diablo work, which included a high toss during which she jumped over the handstick string twice before catching the falling prop.

-Scott Baccus - Baccus performed with three balls, then did a six ball flash. He juggled three clubs, then four clubs with triple spins. In a unique move, he jumped onto a unicy1ce lying on the floor and without ever using his hands righted it to ride off the stage.

-Jeff Daymont - Dressed as a jester, Daymont worked with four, five and seven balls, as well as cigar boxes.

- Dan Schlue - The first competitor in the show, he spun a ball up off the floor onto his finger. He manipulated a soccer ball in several different fashions, and performed numerous tricks with three balls.